Boost Your Self-Confidence
1. 10 Instant Confidence-Builders
It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer. -Albert Einstein
When things get out of control and you momentarily lose your confidence, there are any number of little things you can do to regain it. Here are 10 tools to help get you started.
Wash your hands and face, and brush your teeth. It cools your body, which is relaxing, and gives you that "fresh start" feeling.
Look at any diploma or certificate of achievement you have. And if it isn't framed and on the wall, do it now. These are reminders of your accomplishments, and taking in your success is important to maintaining your confidence.
Remember your last (or greatest) success and think about it for 60 seconds. Taking in your success as often as possible will help you reach another and another. Quite simply, it reminds you that, because you have done it before, you can do it again.
Give yourself a good shave (face or legs). It's another instant refresher, and, in addition, when we know we are looking our best, we are naturally more confident.
Know you are the person your kids or other loved ones think you are. Knowing that you are unconditionally loved can't help but make you feel good about yourself.
Wash your car, inside and out. Hey, when our wheels are shiny, we feel better. If you don't think this applies to you, just remember how you felt the last time you got a ride in someone's very funky car. Race you to the car wash.
Put on clean socks and shoes you haven't worn in a few days. Shoes take a day or two to release any moisture they have absorbed, and this is a very easy way to put a little pep back into your step.
Organize your closet and get rid of anything that no longer fits. Old clothes may come back into style, but you really don't want them on hangers for the next 20 years. Throwing out the old makes room for the new. For some, the feeling they get from putting on a new "power suit" fills them with self-esteem.
Cook a lovely meal. Even if you are by yourself, preparing a tasty dinner, setting the table, and treating yourself to a wonderful culinary experience will lift your spirits. Sharing it with someone you love and/or respect will make it even more nurturing.
Look around you, remember that you started with nothing, and know that everything you see, you created. We can all lose our feelings of self-worth, especially when something goes wrong in our world. The real truth is that, if you have done it before, you can do it again. No matter what.
None of these tasks has to be uncomfortable, and won't take you much time. Finding ways to give yourself a little boost when you're not feeling at the top of your game is a trick that truly confident people use on a regular basis.
2. Negativity Kills Confidence
I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence but it comes from within. It is there all the time. -Anna Freud
Negative environments where people are harsh or even abusive to one another are toxic. No one tries to lift you or anyone else out of the pain, and no one can find emotional or even physical comfort-that will lower your self-worth and perhaps even your will to live.
This isn't about having the occasional bad day or moment. It's about living and/or working in an environment that brings or puts you down. When someone is constantly telling you that you're not good enough, eventually, if you stay around a while, you will start to believe it. Only two creatures on the planet, if you continually tell them they are bad, will take it in and believe it: dogs and humans.
We have all seen dogs whose spirits have been broken. They walk around with their tails between their legs and their heads down. They get startled or scared very easily and can react with fear aggression (barking or growling when they are frightened).
The poor things never seem to feel safe and secure. They have lost their wag, and it's sad to see. People tend to react in similar ways when they are living with someone who puts them down on a regular basis or they are working for a company that manages by intimidation.
